Intrigue
by Jncera
Summary: Verb - To arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate. Noun - A secret or illicit love affair. RavenxSpeedy. RavenxRobin
1. Chapter 1

Summary: An exploration into the relationships between Speedy and Raven, and Robin and Raven.

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.

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><p><strong>Intrigue – Chapter 1<strong>

Speedy's mind played the fight scene with Raven over and over again, like a broken film stuck on repeat. Brother Blood may have brainwashed him, but he could still remember everything he did while under those evil shackles, and he was mortified. He was mortified at how he had almost hurt her, but at the same time, as he remembered the fiery glint in Raven's violet eyes as she concentrated during battle, he was also intrigued. He was intrigued by the grace of her movements that almost made it seem she could predict his thoughts, and he was intrigued by her surprising strength. The only other person who could stop his bow in mid-air as he swung it down with full force had been Robin. For a girl so fragile-looking, Raven sure was tough. He had no doubt (and this was surprising, since he had such supreme pride in his abilities) that she would have beat him, if it were not for the advancement of Brother Blood's army.

As Cyborg packed up his things to return to Titans West, Speedy's eyes searched for Raven. He found her leaning against the railing, looking across the bay. Her hood was down, and the sea breeze tugged at her purple strands. He slowly approached and leaned against the railing next to her.

"Our view isn't as great as Titans West," he spoke, gazing at the blue-grey waters down below, "Your waters are bluer."

"No, it looks the same," answered Raven, glancing sideways at Speedy, "It's winter over there too."

Their eyes both followed a pair of seagulls as they flew by, calling to each other. A brief silence wrapped around the pair.

"I'm…" Speedy's voice trailed a bit, the apology foreign on his tongue, "I'm sorry about before. I hope I didn't hurt you…"

Raven merely gave the smallest hint of a shrug, "You don't have to apologize. You were under Brother Blood's control. And plus," she turned to directly face him, "You couldn't hurt me even if you tried."

Speedy stared at the girl in front of him. She said everything in a steady voice devoid of any emotion, so he couldn't tell if she were joking in her last sentence, or mocking his fighting abilities, or simply just teasing him for the hell of it. Her face didn't betray any tell-tale signs of emotion either. She simply just gazed at him briefly with those large indigo eyes of hers, and then returned to observe the rippling waves below.

Speedy could do nothing but laugh. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Raven.

Raven turned once again to face him, this time a faint smile forming on her lips, "Only if you think it is."

Before Speedy could respond, Raven had left the railing with a faint whoosh from her cloak and was walking back to her team, who had gathered around the T-Ship and T-Car, ready to leave. Speedy's eyes followed her as she walked away and flew into the T-Ship, but never once did she look back.

Yes, he was intrigued.

Speedy wasn't blind, and as a normal heterosexual male, he could not pretend to not have noticed Raven's physical features either. Sure, Starfire was beautiful, but she bared her all her beauty and left nothing to be silently enchanted by. Raven however, hid her physical finesse under her cloak and stoic personality. Her long legs were as alluring as they were mysterious, and her violet eyes were shocking as they were haunting. Those eyes, framed with full, midnight lashes, glowed with an ethereal light, even under the shadows of her hood or in the darkness of night. Starfire's beauty sparkled brightly like the summer, with all its floating butterflies and glittery rainbows. But Raven's beauty glowed like a moonlit night in winter, with all creation covered in a blanket of fragile snow—cold, but calmly hypnotic and delicately enticing. Starfire was pretty—all light and air; but Raven was _sultry_—pure darkness and mystery.

In the days and weeks that followed, Speedy sometimes would find himself thinking of her. These thoughts crept up to him only during the quietest of times as he gazed westward into the ocean during sunset, jealous that the sun could shine on her; or as he sat alone on top of the highest building in Steel City during nightly patrols when the glow from the moon reminded him of her eyes. He couldn't help it. There was something about that dark girl that piqued his interest in a way no other female had ever before. It wasn't a crush, he advised himself, but more of a curiosity. He couldn't explain it, but he really wanted to talk to her, to see her, to spend time with her. Their terse conversation only made him long for more. However, having 2000 miles between them did complicate things a bit. There was no other way to communicate, with the exception of the Titans Communicator, but those were reserved for emergencies really. He couldn't really just call her up on one and commence a casual conversation without it seeming awkwardly suspicious.

Every few weeks the Titans West and Titans East would gather for a video conference, briefing each other on current villains and crime scenes. During those conferences, Speedy would try to steal glances at Raven, but the dark girl was unmoving and unresponsive to his gaze. Once or twice when it was Speedy's turn to speak, he thought he saw that faint smile again, but before he could register it, it was gone. Maybe he was just hallucinating; he was hoping for a smile, so therefore his brain imagined her smiling.

Months later, the Titans East were asked to watch the Titans West tower as the other team went abroad in their quest to defeat the Brotherhood of Evil. Speedy found himself walking through the dark hallways and stop in front of Raven's door. He gazed at the carving of her name, wondering about her, when his thoughts were interrupted by Bumblebee.

"And what are you doing?"

Speedy turned quickly to face Bumblebee and stepped back, "Just wandering."

"Uh huh," Bumblebee peered at the door in front of them, "Any reason why that particular door had your attention so fixed on it?"

"No," Speedy turned to walk away.

"You're interested in her aren't you," Bumblebee's voice was dripping with amusement. It was a far-fetched guess, as nothing Speedy had done in the past really gave away his opinion of Raven, but Bumblebee always liked to tease her teammate.

Speedy stopped and faced her with crossed his arms, "And what makes you think that?" Bumblebee noticed his slightly defensive tone.

"You had that look on your face when you were looking at her name," Bumblebee crossed her arms too, an elusive grin creeping to her face.

Speedy raised an eyebrow, "What look."

Bumblebee waved her hand around, twirling the air as she twirled her thoughts, "Oh, you know, that pensive look you get whenever you stare out our windows during sunset. Like you're awed yet confused at the same time…like you're not sure why there are so many wonderful colors in the sky."

Speedy scoffed, "Poetic. You make me sound like I was probably drooling too."

Bumblebee shrugged, and walked away. She had noticed Speedy never did deny his interested in Raven. "Who knows," she called over her shoulder, "You probably were."

"Unbelievable," Speedy muttered. He glanced again at Raven's door.

Bumblebee might have been right all along, because he was definitely intrigued.

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><p>Hmm. Let's see where this takes us. I honestly don't know how this journey will end, but come on and join the ride!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.

Note: Hmm, I guess I will continue this. I'm not sure what direction I'm going, but I like Speedy.

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><p><strong>Intrigue - Chapter 2<strong>

It wasn't until after the Brotherhood of Evil was defeated, and the Herald "teleported" them all back to Titans West, and after Dr. Light was caught (in only 23 seconds, by the way), that Speedy really had a chance to approach Raven. After hunting through the entire Tower, he found her meditating on the roof-top, floating a few feet above the ground, facing the setting sun, a look of pure tranquility across her face.

Speedy opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't decide what. He also didn't feel like disturbing her in such a peaceful trance. He didn't want to really find out what happens to the unfortunate soul who disturbs her meditation. Rumor has it she could send you to another dimension…

Because he enjoyed living in a dimension that had tacos and steak and fluffy buttermilk pancakes, Speedy silently walked over to the railing and leaned against it, gazing across the sea at the setting sun. He would wait until she was finished. And the view was better here, no matter what Raven had said.

"I wouldn't have sent to you another dimension, you know."

Raven's sudden voice startled Speedy. He turned around, but found her still meditating with her eyes closed.

"Um… did I say that out loud?"

"No," she opened one eye and stared at him, "I'm an empath; I could feel your trepidation, and I know the rumors." Her eye glittered with the setting sun, before she closed it again.

"So you're like a mind-reader." Speedy set his quiver and bow on the ground and leaned back against the railing. He discovered that if he turned his face a certain angle just so, the chakra on Raven's forehead sparkled like a ruby.

"Do I need to hand you a dictionary?"

Speedy chuckled, "No, but I'm sure you get that all the time."

Raven opened both her eyes. She took in the lighted profile of Speedy with the sun behind his back, bringing more contrast to his arm muscles, and his hair formed a flaming halo around his head. She inwardly smirked at the irony. From what she'd heard, Speedy was far from angelic in his private life. "Why are you here?" she demanded unemotionally.

"Well, the Herald did teleport us all here after we defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, and we're waiting for a way to return to Titans East—" He stopped when he saw the scowl on Raven's face, "What?"

"I know why you're in our _tower_," she rolled her eyes, "But why are you on the rooftop?"

"Oh, that," Speedy grinned, "I was just looking for someone."

"That's nice. Keep looking. I'm not stopping you."

"Are you always so vile?" Speedy pulled himself up onto the railing and sat precariously on it. He couldn't help but notice how Raven's eyes smoldered in the soft light from her irritation.

"Are you goading me?"

Speedy tilted his head curiously. "Should I be?"

Raven sighed and stood, floating back to the ground. "What do you want, Speedy?" The question wasn't invitational at any degree. She just wanted the conversation to end so she could be left alone again.

"Spar with me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Spar with me. You said that I couldn't hurt you even if I tried, and I asked if that were a challenge, and you responded that it could if I wanted it to be. Well," Speedy flashed a smile, "I think it's a challenge."

There was a pause, and Speedy was afraid Raven would simply walk silently away. But to his surprise, Raven laughed. It wasn't a hearty guffaw; but a miniature evil chuckle that briefly danced in the air. He was floored. If her faint smiles were like the rare golden specks on the riverbed, then her laughter—even if it was _at_ him and not _with_ him—was like chancing upon a diamond.

"You just can't live with the fact that I would have won," Raven's face was composed once again; only her eyes glimmered briefly as they stared intently at Speedy's face.

"What's this?" Speedy slid off the railing and walked closer until they were only an arm's length away. "Unemotional Raven is letting her _pride_ show?"

Raven raised her eyes to continue her steady gaze at his face. "It's not pride if I'm stating a fact," she stonily retorted.

"I resent that," Speedy said lightheartedly, "Spar with me."

"No." Raven shifted her feet, ready to leave.

"Why not?" Speedy asked.

"It's pointless." Raven remarked, as if she were stating the obvious.

"Why, because you know I'll win?" Speedy placed his hands on his hips, grinning.

Raven fixed her eyes on Speedy. She wasn't sure why he was being so adamant about sparring. Was he just so stubborn once he set his mind on something? Did that thick head of his not understand what the word "no" meant? Was he just used to always getting his way with the other women he toyed? Well _she_ won't be toyed with, by _anyone_.

"No," she repeated, "Because I just don't want to." She turned to leave, but was stopped when Speedy reached out and gently grabbed her hand. Surprised, she swayed back around.

"Then have lunch with me. Tomorrow," Speedy's voice was soft and imploring.

Raven opened her mouth to shoot out the rejection that was on the tip of her tongue, but the feeling of Speedy's warm hand around hers sent a shock through Raven's system. The only other person who had held her hand so warmly had been…Robin, and the comparison caught the words in her throat. After what seemed like eternity, she gingerly slipped her hand away from his gentle hold.

"Fine," she managed to say, keeping her voice smooth, "Since you're so obviously _not_ going to take _no_ for an answer to anything…"

Speedy grinned, "Come on Raven. It's time for you to have some fun right? Celebrate a bit on having defeated the Brotherhood of Evil and racked up a shelf full of shiny villain-trophies made of ice?"

Raven returned to her exit pathway, but then paused, and looked at the archer with a sideways glance, "_Fun_ is not something that I can easily do."

Speedy's smile turned slightly mischievous, "Now is _that_ a challenge?"

There was no answer from the dark girl, who disappeared into the stairwell silently and quickly as a phantom, leaving Speedy chuckling to himself as the last of the sun's rays disappeared beneath the horizon.

Raven, he decided, was an enigma-a beautiful enigma that he was curiously and powerfully drawn to.

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><p>Despite her cool exterior, Raven's heart was racing. It wasn't from the anxiety of having been just asked out by Speedy (okay, maybe a little), but more so the fact that their encounter didn't go as planned and took a sharp twist. She had expected their conversation to be just as curt as before, and the two parting ways without any ties, as before. She had expected everything to be normal. Her heart was racing because now her expectations were no longer in control.<p>

Raven was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't see quite clearly around a corner and bumped into someone.

"Oomf," Raven staggered backwards, "Sorry—", she looked up at the person in front of her, "—Robin?"

Robin extended a hand to steady her, "Hey Raven. You okay? I didn't mean to alarm you like that."

"No. Yes." Raven took a deep breath and grabbed the railing and leaned on it, "I'm fine. Just wasn't paying attention."

Robin cocked an eyebrow. Raven not paying attention to her surroundings was the equivalent of Beast Boy not attempting to see the humor in every situation. Second to him, Raven was _the_ most observant member on the team; for her to not be paying attention had to mean something was unfairly occupying all her thoughts, which never happened. Concern washed over his curiosity as he watched the girl in front of him inhale deeply and stare in front of her in a slightly vacant expression.

"What's bothering you?" he asked in a low voice.

Raven's eyes refocused on Robin. She noticed that he never asked _if_ anything was bother her, but rather _what_ it was, like he already knew. Ever since he let her inside his mind to validate the presence of Slade, he had an uncanny way of always knowing when something was bothering her. Even something as simple as a nightmare in the middle of the night would bring him to her door, knocking and making sure she was okay. Ever since that mind-meld, it was like they had created a telepathic bond between each other. It wasn't strong enough to allow access to deeper thoughts, but it was solid enough for the two to project their emotions through it.

Raven quickly laid out her choices in her head. She could always lie; say everything was peachy-keen, maybe throw in something sarcastic as the icing on top. But she knew it wouldn't work; Robin could already sense that something was out of place. She also didn't want to lie to Robin—the one person who understood her maybe better than she understood herself, the one person who had literally gone through hell and back to rescue her, the one person who believed in her even when the world—her world—had ended.

Or she could tell the truth, but her pride was wary of his reaction. The Titan Ice Queen, feeling unnerved because a boy—a fellow teammate—had asked her to lunch? Having been asked to lunch by anyone, even it was by the bad-boy Speedy, wasn't supposed to register as a blip in her radar. Such an uncomplicated nuance _shouldn't_ unnerve her. As the saying went, she was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. Would he laugh at the ridiculousness? Or maybe scoff in disbelief?

Raven remained silent. Anyone else staring into Raven's calm purple eyes would assume all was fine, but Robin could sense her inner turmoil rolling off her like thick waves. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, and softly smiled. "It's okay. You don't need to tell me now."

Raven nodded once, taking in the gentle warm pressure of his hand.

"Just know I'm always here for you," continued Robin. He was always surprised at how small she was, and how her shoulder under his hand felt so fragile and vulnerable. He slowly let his hand fall, but his eyes remained on her. "Anyways, I'm looking for Speedy. Have you seen him?"

"He's on the roof," Raven responded, and without looking back, quickly disappeared down the stairs.

Robin watched her pensively as she left. He could put two and two together, and could possibly form a million scenarios connecting Raven's current mood and Speedy's presence on the rooftop, but his respect for Raven halted that thought process. He wouldn't leap to any conclusions; Raven would tell him when she's ready…if she decided to share.

Robin made his way to the rooftop, and looked around for Speedy in the wavering light. The sun had set, but the roof lights had not yet turned on, so everything was cast in a twilight glow. He found his silhouette leaning against the railing, lost in thought as the city lights awakened.

"Speedy," called Robin as he joined his friend, "I've been looking for you."

Speedy turned his head around and nodded in acknowledgment, "Hey Robin. Just admiring the skyline—that's one thing I've missed about this tower."

_What else were you admiring before this?_, Robin suppressed the thought before he could accidentally vocalize it. Everyone knew of Speedy's flirtatious reputation and the rumored bed-post notches, but Robin knew it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, nor was it his place to care what Speedy did in his spare time. He was his friend, teammate, and a hero. _Just as long as no one gets hurt_, _especially_—

"So," Speedy's voice derailed Robin's train of thought, "What's up? You wanted to talk to me?" He turned to face the Titans leader.

Robin quickly composed his thoughts and regained a sense of business. "I heard reports of armies of robots in Steel City from Bumblebee. I tried to ask her about it when we returned today, but she and the rest of the team have gone out for dinner. She told me to wait until she got back, or to look for you."

Speedy nodded solemnly, "Those robots were strange. We had three attacks in a week, but the robots didn't seem to have a purpose. They would always show up in vacant buildings or land plots, where there was nothing to steal or harm or plant. After the last attack three weeks ago, we never saw them again."

"What did the robots look like?" asked Robin.

"Very human-like, with black body-suits, silver armor on the arms, legs, and necks."

Robin thought for a bit, forming a mental image, "That wouldn't lead us anywhere."

"Oh, how could I forget," Speedy quickly added, "They also had orange masks over their faces."

Robin froze, his breath trapped painfully in his lungs. He tightened his jaw and his hands formed into fists as he glared at darkening waters of the sea.

Speedy felt Robin tense at his side, and turned to him. "Are you alright?" he asked, alarmed.

"_Slade_," Robin spat out the name like venom, his vision swimming in rage.

"Slade?" repeated Speedy, incredulously, "Slade is behind those robots? But what does he want?"

"He wants us to know he's still out there," Robin's voice was like icy fire, cold and livid, a fire-breathing dragon on a jagged frozen mountain. He clenched his teeth as he remembered recently how Slade had terrorized Raven, assaulted her, and practically _violated_ her, all for the payment of living once again to raise more hell for the Titans and the world.

"But why show up at Steel City?" wondered Speedy gravely, "If Slade wants to remind you, why not make a show here, in Jump?" He paused, and frowned in realization, "Unless…unless he wants to involve Titans East as well…"

"He's up to something," growled Robin, "And next time he shows his face, we'll be ready. _All_ the Titans will be ready."

Speedy brought a hand in front of him and formed a fist, and stated determinedly, "Titans East will crush him if he ever dares show himself."

Robin turned to leave, "Thanks Speedy. I better go let the others know."

Speedy twisted around, "Wait!"

Robin paused and looked back. The rooftop lamps flickered on all of a sudden, basking the two in artificial whiteness.

"Can I borrow your R-Cycle tomorrow?"

"Um, sure," answered Robin slowly, "Going to the city?"

"Yeah. Thought I'd visit before I go back east…" It wasn't exactly a lie; just not the whole truth. Speedy wasn't sure why he didn't just tell Robin about his lunch plans with Raven. It wasn't like he would refuse to let her go…would he? Being an archer, Speedy was a great observer, and could sometimes see what others thought were invisible. In the short time all the Titans were together in the Ops room before and after taking down Dr. Light, Speedy had noticed the intense way Robin would stare into Raven's eyes. It was different than the way he looked at anyone else, even Starfire. He looked at the Tamaranian with a tender and amused look on his visage, like a brother would gaze at a sister, or a mother at a child. But the way he stared at Raven… it was like he could see right into her soul. It was a look that undeniably said, "I know. I understand. I'm here for you."

Speedy didn't want to leap to any conclusions, but from what he could tell, there was definitely something emotionally deep that was coursing between the two birds, and the last thing he wanted to do was end up in a silly love-triangle. However, he was going to take his chances on Raven.

"…and I'm having lunch with Raven," finished Speedy, carefully observing Robin. He could clearly see every minute change in emotion that splashed onto his face and body posture under the lamps.

"Oh," said Robin simply, "Well, have fun," he paused, and then added, as if it was just a casual afterthought, "Her favorite restaurant is 'House of Ivy', by the way, on 5th and Central."

Speedy watched as Robin then turned, and walked away and through the roof exit doors.

And for some unknown reason, a curious snippet of a Christmas song popped into Speedy's mind.

_We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be…_

Speedy shook his head. _Great, my mind is singing Christmas songs in the middle of August. I really need to sleep…_

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><p>Not sure what part Slade will play in this lol. Honestly, I'm just writing this for the sake of writing, and to explore the relationship between Speedy and Raven, and Robin and Raven.<p>

I might be changing the rating to M as the story goes on, by the way. Just a warning...


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